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Jaris Waide

We are proud to recognize Jaris Waide as our Volunteer in the Spotlight for her dedication to our Fight for Air.

Jaris has participated in our Fight for Air Walks for the past 12 years and dedicates each year to a letter in the alphabet. Her motivation to participate comes from a personal connection to lung disease and this year’s team name is “Lungology” for the letter “L.”

Jaris was diagnosed with asthma around age 34. She saw it as a minor inconvenience until she had a major asthma attack in 1998 that caused her world to go black. Upon reaching the hospital by ambulance, she was feared dead on arrival. After two shots of ephedrine and a foggy vision of her father encouraging her live, she was revived with a new meaning for her journey in life. She tells us:

“I am in this for the long haul, walking the entire alphabet with a grand goal of at least $50,000.”

To date, Jaris has raised nearly $20,000 of her goal in the hopes that new funds will help to create awareness around the severity of asthma and fund research for new treatments and a cure.

A local Walk in Godfrey, IL will be held in her honor this May. Relentless participants like Jaris continue to inspire the American Lung Association. Jaris, we are thankful to have a supporter like you!